On-pitch formula, family spirit among factors in Lion City Sailors’ S’pore Premier League dominance: Pundits

SINGAPORE – A solid foundation at the back and unrivalled firepower have provided a winning formula for the Lion City Sailors on the pitch.

That, combined with a strong family spirit, has helped them dominate the 2024-25 Singapore Premier League (SPL), football pundits told The Straits Times, as the Bishan-based side stand on the cusp of clinching their second domestic league title since privatisation.

The Sailors, who need at most two more points from their remaining three games to add to their 2021 triumph, could seal the deal when they visit cellar dwellers Tanjong Pagar United at the Jurong East Stadium on May 10 (6pm).

SPL commentator Rhysh Roshan Rai feels the key to the Sailors’ dominance this season is their 5-4-1 set-up that “turns into a 3-4-3 in attack and gives them the shape and solidity in central positions”.

Coupled with the marauding runs of January signing and wingback Diogo Costa, the transitional attacking play of mercurial winger Maxime Lestienne, playmaker Bart Ramselaar and striker Lennart Thy has become their winning formula, he added. 

“What they have done is build a solid foundation at the back with the likes of (Toni) Datkovic and Bailey Wright,” said Rai, a former league player.

“They have been solid in central defence, giving them the platform to let attacking players play on the counter-attack and do the damage with players like Lestienne and Ramselaar, who can take on defenders in one-on-ones.

“Their transition game has been very good this campaign.”

He noted that Datkovic has stood out, not only giving “a lot of strength to the backline, but also being able to pass through the lines and go for big switches in play and diagonal passes. That adds another element to their set-up”.

In comparison to the Sailors’ previous two campaigns where they fell just short, A. Shasi Kumar, formerly a coach and player in the league, believes their “impressive defence” – which has conceded the lowest tally of 31 goals in 29 SPL games – has made the difference for them this season.

Fellow commentator Khidhir Khamis hailed the team’s ability to consistently execute coach Aleksandar Rankovic’s style of play.

The former Balestier Khalsa coach added: “I salute Rankovic for his consistent playing style, even though the games are not always pretty, they have been really effective.”

There was also consensus among the pundits that Albirex Niigata’s conversion to a local club was a “big factor” for the Sailors’ domestic dominance. 

“Not to say that it has been easy, but to lose a big rival is something we need to acknowledge,” said Rai on Albirex, who had won three of the last four SPL titles with a largely Japanese squad.

Khidhir added: “The quality of the competition went down. Albirex is not the Albirex of old. There is no direct competition. But at the end of the day, you have to give credit where it’s due, and the Sailors did their job, winning a majority of games.”

In the wake of Albirex’s decline, BG Tampines Rovers made a bold effort to fill that void, even topping the table after 12 games.

“Unfortunately, they sort of fell away,” Rai added. “From a neutral’s perspective, it is a little disappointing because they played some great football under coach Gavin Lee.”

Another key factor in the Sailors’ success was the tight-knit unit of both young and seasoned players like captain Hariss Harun and former Australia international Wright, whom Khidhir hailed as “big-game players”.

“This season is a perfect example of experience and a bit of youth coming together. That leadership on and off the pitch is hugely important for a title-winning season,” he said.

Shasi added: “There’s this togetherness in the team. I see it in them… When somebody scores, everyone on the bench gets up and celebrates with the team.”

The Sailors will aim to recreate those scenes on May 10, as they close in on a historic treble of the SPL, Singapore Cup and Asian Champions League Two.

BG Tampines Rovers v Young Lions (May 10, 6pm, Jalan Besar Stadium)

After a shock midweek defeat by Balestier, Tampines’ slim title hopes have all but evaporated, as they are eight points behind the Sailors with three games left. But the second-placed Stags, who have dropped points against the Young Lions only once since 2020 (2-2 in September 2024), will be keen to end their campaign strongly.

Balestier Khalsa v Brunei DPMM (May 11, 6pm, Jalan Besar Stadium)

Sixth-placed DPMM will be eyeing a top-half finish, following a late-season resurgence that has seen them unbeaten in their last six league games (four wins, two draws). They trail their fourth-placed opponents by seven points, but a win against the Tigers would blow the mid-table race wide open.

Geylang International v Albirex Niigata (May 11, 6pm, Our Tampines Hub)

Geylang will be hoping to build on their

emphatic comeback 3-2 victory against the Sailors

on May 4. A draw against the out-of-form Albirex will be enough for the Eagles to seal a third-place finish, their highest since 2003.